Seventy years ago, on the last Saturday morning in January, the MV Princess Victoria left the port of Stranraer in South-West Scotland. She was heading for Ireland with 179 people on board – but never arrived. The flawed design of the ship meant that the car deck was flooded as ferocious waves pounded against her,Continue reading “Facing the Inevitable”
Category Archives: Struggles
When Our Children Suffer
Katie Faris knows what it’s like to have the wind knocked out of her by a doctor’s phone call—to be shocked, to grieve, and to run to the Lord with a host of questions. In 2013, three of her children were diagnosed with a genetic condition called Alpha-1 that can seriously affect the liver inContinue reading “When Our Children Suffer”
Heroes of Faith
No one but one who is God-man can make the satisfaction by which man is saved.” In the Middle Ages, it was customary for bishops-elect to make a show of protest to signify their modesty. When Anselm, an Italian monk from Normandy, was chosen to become archbishop of Canterbury, he protested too. The episcopal staffContinue reading “Heroes of Faith”
I Was Raped and Got Pregnant
I received an email from a non-Christian woman who had been raped and got pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter. The emotional and physical struggles she went through were very difficult and were weighing on her heavily. She wanted to know, “Why did God allow this to happen?” Note: The content here is transferredContinue reading “I Was Raped and Got Pregnant”
Why Are Middle-Aged Americans Killing Themselves?
A recent working paper published by several university professors found a potential link between declining religiosity and suicide trends in the 1990s. The study, titled “Opiates of the Masses? Deaths of Despair and the Decline of American Religion,” focused on the uptick in suicides during the 1990s and pointed out a possible correlation between theContinue reading “Why Are Middle-Aged Americans Killing Themselves?”
Rest in God
I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.PHILIPPIANS 4:11 God is in control. When a job is terminated, a mate quits, a friend deserts, God is quietly but sovereignly at work for your good. You are not a victim of the economy or another’s decision. You can be content in any circumstanceContinue reading “Rest in God”
Nightmare
On April 21, 1950, Rev. Wade Darby and his wife Mary returned from church visitation and retired for the evening. Near their bed, little Danny slept in his crib. At 2 A.M., Mary awoke to a nightmare. Someone was atop her, choking her. Her hand flew to Wade’s pillow, but she felt a wet massContinue reading “Nightmare”
In My Wife’s Last Years
In March, my beloved wife, Nanci, lost her four-year battle with colon cancer. All 54 years I’ve known her, Nanci loved Jesus. But from a front-row seat, I watched a wonderful — and supernatural — change in those last four years. In 2019, Nanci wrote to a friend and fellow cancer sufferer, The cancer battleContinue reading “In My Wife’s Last Years”
The Lens of Suffering
Often when something awful happens to us or those whom we love, we find ourselves asking, Why me? Why now? Why this? Suffering disrupts our lives, seeming to violate the way life should be. This can make us desperate to know why we are suffering. Jesus made it clear that we may never know. When some peopleContinue reading “The Lens of Suffering”
Don’t Call Me a Drunkard
Pictures of Mel Trotter (1870–1940) show a distinguished gentleman with serious face, slight smile, silver hair, wire glasses around perceptive eyes. His favorite verse was 2 Corinthians 5:17, and for good reason.Trotter’s father, a bartender, taught Mel the trade at an early age. Despite the earnest prayers of his mother, Mel followed his dad headlongContinue reading “Don’t Call Me a Drunkard”
Intentional Faith 